Four Children and an Angel
by Ashlynn06
Summary: Clary is a nanny for a very handsome and very blonde Jace Herondale. With four children to look after, a house to run, along with her own love life to manage, Clary doesn't know what she's got herself into. Wish I was better at summaries, but just give it a shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Just thought you as a dear reader should know that this is my first fanfic of any type. Feedback is much appreciated but no hate.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to the talented Cassandra Clare.**

Four Children and an Angel

Chapter One

 **Clary Pov**

Clary woke with a start to her alarm blaring at 7:00 in the morning. She groaned, smacking her clock off and sitting up with a yawn. The sunlight filtered through the off-white curtains, giving the room a warm glow. She painstakingly got out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen.

Today was interview day. 24-year-old Clary Fray had recently worked at Dorethea's Art Store but had been out job hunting ever since it closed down due to bad business. This was Clary's third interview this month, and she was getting desperate. She was applying to be a nanny for some swanky business guy. With necessities to buy and rent to pay, Clary needed income fast. Her friends Simon and Izzy had offered her room to stay, but being the stubborn redhead she was, refused.

After brewing a cup of black coffee, Clary sat on one of the bar stools at her kitchen island and looked at her tiny apartment. The walls were crammed with pictures of friends and family where there weren't her own paintings. Random sketches were laying half hazard on the coffee table with pencils on the floor. Clary admitted, she wasn't the neatest person out there, but did it really matter if she knew where everything is?

As she drained her coffee, Clary felt more prepared to face the day.

She quickly went to her room to get changed. She threw on a black pencil skirt with a baby blue blouse and black blazer. She then proceeded to pull her hair out of its bun and brush it till it was in loose fiery red curls till her waist. She applied minimal makeup, wanting to keep a fresh but natural look. She pulled out a pair of round toe pumps. Shooting a glance at the clock, she still had an hour to get to her interview. Grabbing her keys, phone, and apple for the ride, she left her apartment and started the walk to the metro.

TIME SKIP TO INTERVIEW

Standing outside of Java Jones, Clary took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. A lot was riding on this interview and if she screwed this up, she had no idea what she was gonna do. After waiting one more moment, she pushed through the door and was hit with the intoxicating smell of coffee. Mr. Herondale said that he'd be in a corner booth on his laptop. As Clary scanned the coffee shop, her eyes landed on a window booth holding a man with a mop of blonde hair hidden behind a laptop.

Smoothing the none existent wrinkles on her skirt, Clary slowly made her way over to the blonde man. But as she stood in front of him, he didn't seem to notice her and continued to furiously type on his laptop. Clary cleared her throat.

" Um excuse me, sorry to bother you but could you happen to be Mr. Herondale?" she inquired, keeping her voice level.

He looked up with a start, and Clary had to stop herself from gasping out loud. Golden. That was the only way to describe. His eyes were melted honey and his skin was a golden tan. To top it all off he had a halo of golden hair this curled at the nape of his neck.

" Yes I'm Jonathon Herondale and you must be Clarrisa," he said, snapping her out of her reverie.

" Pleasure meeting with you," Clary replied, shaking his hand and taking a seat in front of him.

" So Clarrisa, your 24 years old, correct?" Mr. Herondale began.

" Yes, I'll be 25 in a few months" Clary confirmed.

" Care to tell me why you're applying for to be a nanny?" Clary took a deep breath. " Well I lost my old job when the store closed down and I know I've always been good with children."

" It says here that you started college but never got your degree. Why is that?"

" I was studying art history when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. After juggling college, a part-time job, and caring for my mom, I realized that I wouldn't be able to keep it up. I dropped out of college so that the tuition money could go towards her treatment and I could take another job with the free time." she explained, trying and failing to keep the emotion out of her voice. The last thing people want is tears at an interview, Clary thought bitterly.

Jonathon's face betrayed no emotion as he continued on with the interview. Before Clary knew it Mr. Herondale got a call and excused himself. A few moments later he returned.

" I've just got an urgent call from work and they need me to come in," he said as he began packing up his laptop.

" I never did ask, what is it that you do?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're applying for a job but you don't know what your employer does? I could be an ax killer."

" Well, then, I don't see why you'd need a nanny then," Jonathon barked out a laugh.

" I'm sure you're smart enough to find out more about me. It was a pleasure meeting with you Clarrissa and I'll keep in contact. Good day."

Once Mr. Herondale left the coffee shop, Clary let a sigh of relief. Now all she had to do was wait.

She exited Java Jones and made a quick call.

" Hey, Fray how's it going?"  
" Movie at my place in an hour?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **Clary Pov**

Clary heard the ding of the elevator as the doors slid open. She stepped in, crinkling her nose at the strong scent of perfume. Simon and she always bickered about how his complex was too fancy for her. At least this time she was dressed better.

When the elevator came to a stop at the penthouses, she made her way to the last door on the hallway. Clary pushed the door open, a bad habit both her best friend and she had acquired after being friends for so long. As she kicked her shoes, she heard the T.V volume go down, and the one and only Simon Lewis appeared, geeky glasses and all.

But Clary had to admit, puberty had done wonders for him. From a gangly, scrawny teenager obsessed with Anime and gaming, Simon had filled out nicely. He was now pretty built and had a wicked jawline. Instead of having a rat's nest for hair, it was now a tousled soft light brown head of hair.

" How bad was it?" he asked, leaning on the side of the wall, looking her up and down.

" I don't only come to you for emotional support Lewis, it was fine. Actually, I never go to you for emotional support. That's Izzy's department." she replied, thwacking him on the arm as she went to his room.

"First off, OW. And second, stop using my girlfriend's compassion. She's mine." Simon complained as he followed her to the room. Clary went to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer where she kept a stash of her clothes for occasions like this.

Laughing as she pulled out a pair of ratty jeans and a paint-stained shirt, Clary retorted, " If we're getting into terms now, she was technically my friend first buddy. So actually, you used our friendship to boost your love life."

Simon placed a hand over his heart. " You wound me," he stated dramatically. Clary snorted and made her way to the kitchen to fix herself another cup of coffee. Her friends had told her off many times about her coffee addiction, but she always fought back with the claim that if they tried to limit her, she'd key their cars.

They made their way to the living room, where Clary explained to Simon how her interview went. She left out the part about her wanting to sketch her future boss though. Simon would tease her endlessly if she let that slip out. In the end, Simon assured her that it went great and that if she didn't get the job, then Jonathon was a major douchebag.

For the remainder of the day, they lounged around on the couch, flipping aimlessly through channels and going back and forth about this and that. Eventually, Simon's girlfriend and one of Clary's only other friends Isabelle Lightwood came home. Tall, dark, and extremely beautiful, Isabelle Lightwood was a sight to see. Her long dark hair was a black sheet to her waist. She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the sight for sore eyes in her living room.

After a pause, she announced, " I'm going to start dinner."

It was as if an explosion had occurred. Clary toppled off of the couch while Simon choked on his beer, hacking violently. But they both yelled at the same time "NO!"

Isabelle pouted and stomped her foot., "Fine then. If you guys are gonna be such babies about it, then you figure out dinner!" she said, then continued to stalk to their bedroom and slam the door.

"Whew, that was a close one Fray," Simon said as he wiped his forehead.

"Actually Si, I should probably get back. I've got a lot to do at home."

Simon nodded and stood up, dusting his faded jeans. " I'll drive you home."

The drive to Clary's apartment was left to a comfortable silence, with the radio playing distinctly in the background. When they pulled up outside of Clary's crummy apartment, she kissed Si on the cheek before heading up to her quiet little apartment. She lay deep in bed that night. She thought about the past interview, and how much was riding on it. Clary obviously wasn't where she'd envisioned herself in the future right now. She was behind in rent, living in basically living in a shithole. She had no family, and all of her friends were doing extremely well and were perfectly content. And to top it all off, she had no diploma or credibility of any sort, leaving her with very few options. Clary had always wanted to be an artist and have her pieces of work displayed in galleries but had never had the time or financial stability to do so. The dream had never truly died, but more like shoved aside until further notice.

* * *

The next day as Clary was attempting to tidy up her living room, the Harry Potter theme song began blasting from her phone. Rummaging through the couch, she triumphantly pulled it out to see that it was an unknown number.

" Fray, who's speaking,"

" Good morning Ms. Clarissa this is Jonathon Herondale speaking." Clary sucked in a breath.

" Oh, good morning. I wasn't expecting to get a call from you so soon. How can I help you?"

" I've called to inform you that you have been given the job."

" Oh. OH. Thank you so much Mr. Herondale. When would you like me to start?"

" I'll have a driver come around to collect you tomorrow evening if that's alright?"  
" Yes, that should be alright."

" I'll see you tomorrow then." He said and the line went dead.

Clary squealed and began jumping up and down like a school girl. She then laughed at her antics and flopped onto the couch. She had gotten the job.

TIME SKIP

Clary had finished packing by the time lunch rolled around the next day. It was pathetic really, that she was able to pack up her life so easily. She had already gotten Simon to come and pick up almost all of her pictures and paintings because she definitely wouldn't have room for them in her new home.

Home. It was a word that Clary wasn't too familiar with. As a child, her mother had always been working, leaving young Clary to fend for herself. Then living with her ex-boyfriend Raphael Santiago had been a complete nightmare. She remembered feeling so alone, always afraid, covering up the bruises and cuts. He was the reason she had anxiety attacks. They had gotten a lot better, thanks to Izzy and Simon. They were the only ones who knew that Raphael used to hurt her.

Clary shuddered. That was in the past now and there was nothing she could do but focus on the present.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note- Hey guys just wanted let you know about the updating. I'll try to post every month if not more, but no guarantees.** **Also, let me know if you want a Jace POV.** **I haven't really got a chance to add one, but in coming chapters, he's going to be much more present! Don't forget to review!**

 **Disclaimer- All rights on characters and places go to Cassandra Clare.**

Chapter 3

 **Clary POV**

Clary's phone pinged, signaling that Jace's driver was outside waiting for her. She sighed and grabbed one of her suitcases to begin the treacherous journey down the stairs because the elevator was broken.

Parked right outside of her apartment was a black Cadillac Escalade, sketchy tinted windows and all. Upon seeing her arrival, out stepped a middle-aged man in a black suit. His rugged good looks and dancing eyes would have made any girl swoon back in high school, Clary was sure.

" The names Lucian Greymark, I'm Jace's driver. Clarrisa Fray, is it?" He said, shaking her hand.

" Nice to meet you Mr. Greymark, I-" Clary was cut short as Lucian let out a deep chuckle.

" Lucian will be just fine missy. Now, what were you saying?" Clary was liking this Lucian more and more every passing second.

" I have one more suitcase and a bag upstairs. If you don't mind, I'm just going to run up and get them." Clary stated, turning to the building once more.

" I'll have none of that. Now you go and get comfortable in the car and I'll bring them right out."

" Thank you Mr. Greym- Lucian. It's on the seventh floor, number 714." Clary replied as they went their separate ways. Inside the Cadillac, the seats were covered with smooth black leather and a console with so many buttons and switches it made Clary's head hurt was nestled in the front. She climbed in, and placed her messenger bag beside her, feeling slightly uncomfortable sitting in a strangers car all alone.

Eventually, Lucian returned, lifting her suitcase and duffel bag as if they were nothing. He threw them in the bag before getting into the front and starting up the car. As they smoothly pulled onto the street. Clary looked back at the building, feeling a little lost as the familiar place shrank until they turned the corner.

The whole car ride there was filled with easy conversation, Lucian telling her about his employment under Jace, steering clear of dangerous the topics that came with talking about work. Faster than Clary had realized, they pulled up outside a monstrously large house that could probably eat Clary's apartment as an appetizer.

The ginormous has was built on a hill that sloped down to a road that divided their property from an open field of a multitude of colours. The driveway was under the protection of the trees that ringed the property, and it snaked from the road to the garage that was separate from the mansion. Steps made of large flat rocks with flowers on each side connected the driveway to the front porch.

Clary sucked in a breath as she got out of the car. More like fell out, considering how high it was for her vertically challenged body to manage. She heard Lucian telling her to go right in, saying that he would grab her bags. As she timidly made her way down the stairs towards the door, her heart rate picked up, nervousness and anxiety knawing at her insides. When she pushed open the door, her breath caught. The was the biggest house she had ever been into hands down. From the doorway, it opened out into a large foyer, with a hallway branching off on the left, as well as a library next door. The grand staircase went straight down into the living room with a 30ft high ceiling. Large glass windows gave a great view to the field across the street, slightly covered by the champagne drapes.

Clary peered around, unsure of whether she should go looking for Jace or stay put in the entrance for Lucian. Before she could decide for herself, the very man himself appeared from the library, frowning with a phone to his ear. He looked up and his eyes widened slightly when he realized who she was. With a quick turn on his heel, he retreated to the library and said his farewells.

" Ah Clarissa, as you can see, I wasn't expecting you to arrive so early. No matter. You can leave your shoes by the door an follow me into the library. Clary did as she was instructed. The library joint to Jace's study it seemed, and it was filled with just as many, if not more books than the previous room had.

" Let's get down to business, shall we?" He said as Clary took a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

" As you know you will be looking after my three nieces and my nephew. Their parents have just passed away in February, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up with or around them. Next, terms." He shuffled tidied a few papers up on his desk before continuing. " You will be working throughout the week. You must cook, clean, as well as tend to the children. You don't need to worry much about dropping or picking them up, because they fall in the bus area. Laundry and cleaning are all up to you. You should not be going out without good reasons while you're working. Don't worry though, you're free from Friday 6:00 PM to Saturday 6:00 PM. No earlier or later. You are not permitted to bring anyone here without my consent, and I don't care what you do or where you stay on Friday night, as long as you stay out of trouble. Failure to comply will result in termination of the contract. Understood?" Clary nodded her head, trying to absorb everything he was saying before she went and got herself fired in the first week.

" As you already know, there are four of them. The eldest, Emmiline, but we just call her Emmy. She's 13 years old. Then comes Ezra, who's 11. Next is Laurel, 6 years old. Lastly is Lucky, or Lu, who's 3. Here's a schedule of all their activities throughout the week. Every other weekend, like this one, they spend with my parents. They know how to drive, so they're fine with picking and dropping them off."

" For their meals, they can eat just about anything except for Laurel, because she has a peanut allergy. Try to make sure they're getting enough of each food group, and ordering takeout is not acceptable often. Let's not forget about your dressing attire. As long as it covers you and you can get your work done in it, I don't really care what you wear. On your days off, you may wear what you like, as long as the kids don't see you. You will address as me as Mr. Herondale, whether you're working or off. Is that clear?" He stated, giving me a pointed look. I nodded and he sighed, running a hand down his face.

" I'm sorry its a lot to take in, but it's very important that you retain everything. Do you have any questions?" He inquired.

" No, not really. Actually, yes. Am I allowed to take the kids anywhere with me?"

" Good question. As long as its age appropriate and safe, then yes. You may use the Audi Q7. I'll show you around and let you get settled."

Clary trailed behind him as he showed her the kitchen and adjoined dining room, ( which was twice as big as her old bedroom) the living room, bathrooms, the kids' bedrooms, and so on. Thanks to the house being built on a slope, the house had a total of four floors, though the top one and bottom two were not as big as the main one. Lastly, Jace directed her to her room, which was just after the three steps leading to the third floor. It was close to the kitchen and near the kids' rooms so she could attend to them.

When she stepped inside, her mind went blank. The room had no windows because it was semi-underground, but the colors took care of that. The walls were a nice aqua and all of the furniture was white or gold to complement it. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, with an ombre duvet going from white to the same aqua that hung on the walls. By the foot of the bed was a fuzzy aqua carpet sprawled across the mahogany flooring.

For the first time in the short period of time Clary had known him, Jace actually looked nervous. He looked at the floor before stealing a glance at her, trying to gauge her reaction. " If you, don't like it, I get it redone. It won't be a problem." He said sheepishly.

" Oh no, not at all Mr. Herondale. This is perfect." Clary said hurriedly as she took another step into the room and did a 360. She then noticed that all of her stuff was tucked neatly beside the white desk and chair. Clary made a mental note to thank Lucian later.

" Okay then. I'll just leave you to get settled. On your schedule, the time of each meal is listed. If you need anything, feel free to contact Lucian, and if it's important, me. But try not to call me during work." Jace said before leaving Clary to her own thoughts and stuff to unpack.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- All names and characters belong to Cassandra Clare.**

Chapter Four

 **Clary POV**

Jace said that because she just moved in, dinner was on him and that she'd start the next day. Clary finished unpacking fairly quickly and was left with an hour of nothing to do. Not feeling comfortable enough to try and engage in conversation with Jace left Clary up to her own devices. She decided to sketch a little bit to pass the time.

As she flipped aimlessly through her pages, she was struck with a bolt of inspiration. Quickly turning to a new page, Clary's pencil flew across the page, making out a rough outline, before going into detail, doing and redoing certain parts until she was satisfied with its appearance.

Before long, a knock reverberated through the wooden door. Glancing at the clock, she was shocked at how much time had already past. After calling for the person behind the door to come in, Clary quickly closed her sketchbook.

Jace poked his head through the crack he'd made. "Just wanted to let you know that the kids have just come home, once they come out, you could get to meet them if you want." He stated.

" Yeah, I'll come out to introduce myself," Clary said, hurriedly getting up and smoothing down her clothes. They walked upstairs together in an awkward silence. Before entering the living room, Jace stopped her by touching her shoulder. Clary's heart skipped a beat in anticipation as to what he had to say.

"Before you go in, I thought I should warn you. Don't take it personally if they don't take to you immediately. They're still adjusting to living here, and there the last experience with a nanny wasn't the best. They'll warm up to you eventually." Jace said with a furrowed brow, looking her straight in the eye. They were so intense, all Clary could do was a nod.

" Hey guys, you nanny's here! Come say hi." Jace called as they walked into the living room. The kids, all except one, got up to meet them.

" This here is Emmy," Jace gestured to the tallest, who was about half a foot taller than Clary. She had short light brown hair that nearly touched her shoulders. Her face betrayed no emotion as she stared at Clary, making her a tad bit uncomfortable.

" Ezra," Ezra was around Clary's height, if not an inch shorter. His expression was the exact opposite of his sister's. His eyes twinkled with mischief and his wavy dirty blonde hair blond hair was just a little too long. He had a pair of headphones around his neck, and you could see his genuine smile as he gave Clary a firm handshake.

" Laurel," The young girl stood beside Ezra, holding his hand and looking at Clary with big eyes. Her sunlight blonde hair, like Jace's, was secured with a puppy clip.

" And lastly, Lucky." The toddler had gotten up from the couch after noticing the absence of her siblings and had partly hidden behind Emmy's legs. Her hair was a mix between Ezra's and Emmy's shade of brown and blond. It fell in doll-like curls to her shoulders.

After a second Jace cleared his throat. "Let's go eat guys, the foods gonna get cold." He then proceeded to lead the procession to the dining room. Emmy left without a second glance at Clary, with Ezra right behind her, who at least offered her an apologetic smile and whispered " Don't worry, Emmy just doesn't like meeting new people. She's lonely like that." Clary let out a small laugh and smiled wistfully.

Unlike their older siblings, Laurel and Lucky continued to stare at her. So she bent down until she was crossed legged on the floor.

" Your hair is red. I've never seen red hair before. It looks funny." Laurel stated. Clary smiled and replied, " Your right, not many people have red hair. My mom's hair was red but darker. Mine looks more like a carrot, don't you think?" Laurel giggled and nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Lucky had ventured a few steps closer to Clary and was examining a curl with an adorable look of confusion.

" I have curls, but wauwel and Emmy don't. Egra says it cuz we're speshal." Lucky said softly, giving the curl a small tug.

" Well, you do look like a very special girl to me. Do you play with Ezra a lot?" Clary asked, unable to fight the smile that came upon her at the toddler's pronunciation, which was too cute.

" I like playing, but Egra likes to play with his plends., she replied with a pout. Clary took it that she meant " friends". She said, " Well, I promise to play with you whenever I can. How does that sound?" Lucky's face lit up with excitement. " Can we play now?"

" Right now you're supposed to be eating Lu. You too Laurel. Hop to it now." Jace interceeded from the doorway. The two girls gave Clary a hug before shuffling into the dining room. As Jace stared down at her, she quickly got to her feet and dusted her clothes, turning slightly pink with embarrassment.

" I'm surprised they took to you that easily. Usually Lucky's very shy around new people. Now you just got to get Emmy to come around, because of Ezra a really easy going kid." Jace stated, staring into her eyes. Not wanting to look intimidated, Clary stared right back.

After shaking her head slightly, Clary yawned, " I think I'm going to head in for the night, I had a long day." Jace looked at her alarmed. " But you haven't eaten dinner yet."

" I usually don't usually eat dinner, especially if I ate breakfast," Clary confessed. " That can't be healthy now, can it? That's not going to do, not on my watch." Jace said with a determined look in his eyes and a friendly smile on his lips.

" _Goodnight Jace,_ " She emphasized as she descended the steps and into her room.

 **Jace POV**

With Clary's back to him, Jace stole this moment to think about his choice of a nanny. She seemed like a really sweet person. She was a little on the young side, but Jace was banking on the fact that she'd be able to better connect with Emmy than the older women that had applied for the job.

She really was a peculiar candidate. Unlike his past nannies, she didn't try to bargain for higher pay, or even her days off. She dressed modestly and effectively so far, and she didn't seem to care about money. What really stood out to Jace was how she interacted with Laurel and Lucky. His heart swelled when she saw that instead of just being nice to them for a show like others had done in the past, she had gotten down to their level to learn more about them. For reasons unknown to Jace, Lu liked to play with other peoples hair, which included occasionally tugging it. But Clary seemed unbothered by it.

Jace entered the dining room and took a seat at the head of the table. They continued eating in silence usual until he broke the silence with a not so normal question.

" So, what do you guys think of her so far? I know you've only just met her, but first impressions are important." Jace couldn't fathom a good excuse as to _why_ , but he was overcome with the urge for them to like her. He genuinly wanted the kids to like Clary, and the thought baffled him.

Ezra spoke first, " She actually seems pretty cool. I think I can work with this." He said this with a troublemaker smile that painfully reminded Jace of his brothers, Ezra's dad, all too much. In the meantime, Laurel and Lu nodded in agreement.

" Emmy? What about you?" Jace questioned quietly. Emmy continued to stare at her food, not saying a word in defiance. He sighed. Jace knew how much she detested having a nanny, especially becuase she thought she was old enough to look after the four of them without " some stranger imposing on their lives," as she put it the first time he put an advertisement for a nanny.T he truth was, Jace knew how hard it was to grow up without someone to look after you. His parents were always working, which meant leaving Jace and Will up to their own devices when it came to almost everything, including food. And Jace didn't want that for his neices and nephews. No matter how much it made Emmy hate him, Jace would not put her through what him and her father had to got through x4 becuase of her siblings. Even if it meant paying someone to look after them. They needed a mother figure. A nanny may not be a mom, But Clary would definetly have that " women's touch" that Jace definetly did not have.

" I can't really tell you what I think of her when she barely said anything. She seems kind of stupid if you ask me though." Emmy said rather rudely.

" Emmeline I won't tolerate that kind of language under my roof, especially about the women who's going to be feeding you!" Jace said sternly.

She let out an antagonized noise before dumping her plate in the dishwasher and stomping to her bedroom and slamming the door. Jace let out another sigh and ran a hand through his thick hair.

Ezra, oblivious to the tension, merrily continued conversation. " So, Clary's a looker, am I right uncle?" He said, while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Jace.

" No. I already told you Ezra, that's not how it works. Clary works for me. This is going to strictly a bussiness relationship, just like the last one." Jace huffed as he finished his dinner.

But his nephew just shook his head with a smile on his face and murmmered, " That's what they all say in the begining."

Once they all finished eating, Jace helped Lu get ready for bed before tucking her into bed, reading a story for her, and saying goodnight to the others. Right before he could head upstairs to his room, he chanced a look into Clary's room, who's door was slightly open. Clary was already fast asleep, and tangled in the duvet with her flaming red hair sprawled across the pillow. A forgotten sketchbook and pencil must have tumbled of her bed when she was moving around and now lay on the ground by the carpet. Smiling slightly and shaking his head at the girl he barely knew but wanted to, he headed to his room to get ready for the busy day ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I just wanna say guys, thank you so much for the positive reviews I've been getting because nothing boosts a writers enthusiasm to write more than the enthusiasm of their readers. You guys really do deserve an apology for how long it took me to get this out to you. Everything's just got really hectic and this has been lying undone for months. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll try to post more often!**

 **Disclaimer: Characters and names belong to Cassandra Clare, not me.**

Chapter 5

 **Clary POV**

The cursed alarm rang loud and clear at 6:00 AM the next day. Grumbling the entire time, Clary began the torturous task of getting out of bed to shut off her alarm. Right before she could whale flop back onto her bed, she remembered that today was her first day as a nanny. That was enough to wake her up enough to get to the bathroom and splash some cold water on her face.

Instead of brushing her hair, Clary opted to put it up in a messy bun, sighing as the usual strands of hair slipped out of the tie and fell around her face. She opened her closet to survey her options for her first day on the job. Deciding to play it safe, she quickly changed into a plain t-shirt and jeans. She exited her room and quietly slipped upstairs into the kitchen to start breakfast. It seemed as if Jace had already left for work. After doing a quick scan of the fridge and enormous pantry for supplies, Clary set to work getting the ingredients together for a batch of chocolate pancakes.

Before she was through half of the batter, Emmy stumbled into the kitchen bleary-eyed. Confusion was written all over her face until her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw Clary standing behind the counter. She then proceeded to plop herself into one of the chairs by the dining table.

" Good morning. I have chocolate and I also have regular. What would you like?" Clary asked.

Instead of answering her, Emmy made her own statement. " It's been a long time since I've woken up to someone making breakfast. It's been a while for all of us. The last person who could successfully make pancakes was our mom." Clary knew these were dangerous waters, and she had to tread carefully if she wanted to stay employed. To her defense, she hadn't initiated this turn of conversation.

Choosing what she was going to say next carefully, Clary replied, " It's the same here. I've been living alone for a long time. Even when I had a roommate in college, she was a terrible cook. So I still have to get used to living with other human beings." she concluded with a little huff of laughter. Emmy didn't seem to find it funny at all. " Well, I heard you know how to cook pretty well. Did you learn from your mom?" Clary continued with forced ease.

" Yeah, she did. She was an amazing cook. By the way, I'll have two chocolate pancakes." said Emmy. Clary put together the plate before depositing it in front of Emmy with a bottle of syrup. Before the silence could become too awkward, at least for Clary, Ezra strolled into the room as happy as ever.

" Morning Ems! Clary!. What's for breakfast, I'm starving." He said as he made a beeline to the growing pile of pancakes. Clary blocked his path, but not before he snagged a pancake and started inhaling it.

" Good morning to you too Ezra. We eat breakfast at the table though, okay? You go sit down and I'll bring you a plate." Clary said with a smile on her face. She much preferred talking to Ezra over Emmy, that was for sure. Ezra himself nodded his head happily, his cheeks stuffed with pancake before plopping himself into a seat beside his sister and starting up a conversation with her no problem.

Soon enough the youngest children woke up and meandered into the dining room. When Clary was halfway through feeding Lu her breakfast, something, more accurately, someone startled her.

" These pancakes are delicious. They're made from scratch?" Clary practically jumped out of her chair and dropped the fork she was holding in her hand. It clattered to the ground with the piece of pancake detaching itself and smearing syrup on the tile. She quickly turned to see Jace standing casually against the counter eating a stack of pancakes as if he were one of the appliances that came with the kitchen. She quickly got up and looked around the kitchen wildly for the paper towels. Meanwhile, Jace had reached up and pulled a few pieces of paper towel from the dispenser and moving to clean up the mess. Clary nimbly took the paper towel from him before he could protest and swiped away the syrup and pancake.

With an amused smile on his face, Jace commented, "You know you didn't have to do that. It's my fault you dropped it." Clary shook her head and disposed of the towels before going back to Lu. Deciding not to say anything back to her boss on her first day, she picked up Lu and carried her to the washroom. Jace padded after her with a glass of orange juice in his hand.

" You never answered my question. How'd you make the pancakes?" He continued as he trailed behind her and stopped in front of the double vanity sink whilst Clary sat Lucky down beside the sink and began to clean the remains of her breakfast off of her face. Gulping down the rest of his juice, he set the empty glass down on the counter and used the other sink to rinse his hands clean.

" Well, since you're being so persistent about it, yes, they're from scratch. My mom taught me almost everything I know about cooking before she passed away," she said, sending a sideways glance his way. They both then proceeded to the living room before Jace stopped her at the stairs.

" Well, they really were the best pancakes I've ever tasted. Also, I'll be working from home today so if you need anything I'll be in my study." Jace said before continuing on to the kitchen. Clary put Lucky down in the play area outside of the bedrooms for her to play while she checked on the other kids. Ezra was in his room playing on his laptop with his headphones on. He occasionally yelled at the screen our burst out laughing in between the frantic click of the keyboard. Laurel was playing with some dolls on the carpet in her room, whispering incoherently to herself. The nanny smiled before venturing upstairs to the top floor. The eldest child got the privilege of having the only room on the highest floor. Clary hesitantly waited outside of the closed door before knocking softly.

" Emmy are you in there? It's me, Clary," she said through the door. Clary heard footsteps near the door before it opened slightly. Clary got a glimpse of lavender walls and some bottles of paint before the young lady herself blocked the view.

" Do you need something?" she said rather bluntly. Clary steeled herself and forced herself not to flinch at the harsh tone.

" Well, sorry to impose on your _very_ busy schedule. I was wanted to know if you needed anything," she replied. Emmy arched an eyebrow at her but Clary knew that if she let that thirteen-year-old do it once, she would walk all over her as long as she had the job. So Clary kept her gaze sharp and focused on Emmy's eyes. In the end, Emmy just muttered something about not needing anything before shutting the door firmly in Clary's face.

Clary decided to get a head start on the chores. Jace had mentioned earlier that there were still leftovers from last night. She'd probably just throw something together with those. She decided to start with the basket of clean clothes that needed to be folded. As she was sorting out the clothes, Lucky played with toys by her legs, holding little figurines and cars in her chubby little hands. It wasn't that hard to tell who's clothing was whose. She only had to check the size to make sure she didn't mix up Lucky's and Laurel's clothing. Even after finishing the basket of clothes and handing them to the respective person, she still had a ton of time on her hands and not a lot to do. While she was tidying up the coffee table in the living room, Laurel walked up to her holding a box of crayons and a book.

" Can you please colour with me? I'm booored," she asked. Clary nodded and they both sat down at the dining table. Laurel opened up the colouring book and flipped past various pages coloured feverently with vibrant colours. Each page was themed with a different Disney princess, Clary noticed. Finally, the little girl stopped at a page that had Rapunzel holding a frying pan with Flynn Ryder standing behind her.

" We can colour this one. Here, you can colour Flynn and I'll colour Rapunzel," she said as she opened the box of crayons and pulled out the purple crayon. Clary nodded in agreement and set on using the colours Laurel picked out for her and carefully colouring inside the lines.

TIME SKIP

After a while, Clary had to leave Laurel to go and get lunch ready. When she checked the fridge to see what she had to work with, she realized it wasn't much. There were some pasta and meatballs from last night in containers. She did one more scan of the shelves before setting to work, dicing up onions and other vegetables while keeping the stove burning to make a red sauce. Soon the delicious aroma was enough to make everyone come out and try and swipe a little of the sauce. Ezra tried to distract Clary while Jace had a go at the sauce. Just in time, Clary swatted his hand away and waved her laddle at them in warning.

" If you guys don't let me finish this in peace then you might not get any at all! Understood?" she said with a menacing tone. That was enough to make both of the boys spin on the spot and hustle out of the kitchen. It was only a matter of time before she finished the sauce, added the meatballs to it and called out, " Okay lunch is ready!" At that everyone, even Emmy stampeded into the dining room and sat at the table eagerly. After plating everything, they all dug in. Silence filled the air because nobody lifted their head for the next five minutes. After that though, the conversation was light and soon everyone was content with a full stomach.

" I don't know how you do it Clarissa, but it seems that you make everything better," Jace said as he leaned back in his chair.

" Yeah, you should have seen our meals earlier! I mean no offense dear uncle," Ezra added quickly while shooting an alarmed glance at Jace. " But practically everything you made was prepped in the microwave!"

Clary smiled while Jace huffed and ruffled the young boy's hair. Jace then got up, but before he could even twitch a muscle, Clary had whisked all of the empty plates away and into the dishwasher. With a sigh, Jace shook his head before leaving, saying that he had a conference call coming up. Emmy had already slipped out and scurried off to her room, Laurel giggling behind her.

So Ezra and Clary spent the rest of the day caring for Lucky. He seemed a lot more welcoming compared to Emmeline, by far. He turned out to be very welcoming, and he and Clary got on really well.

Before Clary knew it she was tucking the kids for bed and shutting off her own lamp light after an hour of sketching. She could only hope that the rest of her time her would be as smooth as today.


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note:** **Hello! I know its been quite a while since I've posted but that's due to two very pivotal reasons. One, I was working nonstop trying to finish the other story which was updated a while ago. And two works got pretty intense with summer and all that jazz. Anyways, here's chapter 6! Yay me!**

 **Disclaimer- I really wish I did, but I don't own the Mortal Instruments.**

Chapter 6

 **Jace POV**

The past month with Clary around had been all-around smooth sailing in his opinion. By some miracle, three out of the 4 kids seemed to absolutely adore her, which was a feat on its own. Every day he came home from work to find dinner served, and children content. Laurel would go on and on about how she missed her nanny when Clary would spend her one day off out of the house doing God knows what.

He had been apprehensive at first with how such a petite woman would be able to handle the little hellions, but if there was anything he had learnt in the past month, it was that size doesn't matter. At least not in this case. One sharp and pointed look from Clary could make even bull-headed Emmy grumble an apology before obliging.

Emmy. He sighed. He knew that out of all of them, the deaths of their parents had hit her the hardest and for obvious reasons. She had known them the longest. 'Heck, Lu won't even know her parents when she's older' Jace mused sadly as he got out of bed and checked the time. It was way too early for him to be awake, but thankfully he was off the next day and was in search of a midnight snack. He tried to tread as lightly as possible in hopes of not waking any of the kids up. He knew what a terror even cheerful Ezra could be when disturbed and he didn't even want to get started with little Lucky.

What surprised him was that he could see a faint light coming from the dining room and adjoined kitchen. Curiously, he peered inside to see Clary curled up on one of the bar stools, hunched over a sketchbook, pencil scratching away.

"A little late to be awake, don't you think?" he said softly as he walked towards the kitchen. A beat later, she raised her head as if it had taken her brain a second longer to register that someone else was in her presence. Technically, he had no right to ask her what she's doing because it was her only night off. But they had established a shaky friendship if that was even the word for it. They had easy conversations that didn't usually stray past their favourites and opinions on light topics.

"I sometimes have my night of insomnia but its nothing to worry about. Is there any I can do for you Mr. Herondale?" she said as she moved to leave her seat. But he waved her away, emphasizing that he was fine. " Sleep doesn't always come easily for me so I usually just sketch here or in the living room." Clary continued.

Jace's brows puckered at the thought of her having so many sleepless nights without him knowing. " Is something wrong with the room, or your bed? Is that what's keeping you up?" he asked with a concerned tone.

"Oh no, not at all! Enough about me though because I'm assuming you didn't wake up in the middle of the night to investigate your insomniac riddled nanny," she said with a smile on her lips.

Jace allowed a small grin to appear on his face as he explained that he just woke up for a midnight snack. Yes, dinner had filled him he had just happened to want something else to eat. No dinner was absolutely great. No, he didn't need her to cook anything for him. Yes, he knew there were leftovers in the fridge. Yes, he knew how to make a grilled cheese.

"Clary!" he said, cutting her off for the sixth time. " Thanks for the concern but I'm completely capable of making a snack for myself. It's your night off anyway, you shouldn't be trying to look after me. If you really don't believe in my culinary skills, you'll be sitting in that barstool watching me," he said the last part with a small smirk on his lips as she tried of something witty but still respectful to say back because she couldn't deny that he sometimes got on her nerves when he wouldn't let her help him but he was still her boss.

As he heated up the pan, Clary filled the silence, "I was actually planning on meeting up with my friend tonight but she had to cancel so I'll be going out with her tomorrow. Any plans for your weekend off?"

"Thankfully my parents took the kids for the weekend so I might actually be able to relax for the weekend. First I've got to clear some stuff up from work but other than that I don't have any real plans. Actually, on second thought, I forgot to mention it by my brother and sister will be coming over for dinner on Sunday. Sorry, I forgot to mention that beforehand." he said sheepishly.

"Nah its all good, I'll cook on Sunday. What's it like having siblings? I was an only child." Clary explained, setting her pencil down to fully engage in conversation.

"Well, I was adopted when I was around 12, but the family was friends with my parents. They're a little crazy at times, but they took me in as if I were blood-related. They're a real family. I've got a brother and a sister, but you'll get to meet them on Sunday. What was it like being an only child?" Jace inquired as his sandwich sizzled on the pan beside him.

"Growing up alone was kind of lonely I guess. I'd envy those lucky kids around me who had a sibling to tell stories to or bicker with about who got shotgun. But I had a best friend who was almost like a sibling to me. We did everything together, to the point where he even called my mom 'Mamma Fray'." she said with a giggle, her eyes alight with happiness. "Everything was perfect. It was just Simon, my mom and me. Us against the world." suddenly the light dimmed and the sides of her mouth turned down, "Until it wasn't. Everything was different." Jace watched as her emerald eyes clouded over and she stared at her sketchbook with a peculiar expression on her face, as if she weren't really in the present, but rather dragged into the past.

"Hey," Jace said lightly, his fingers grazing her forearm, "go and try to get some rest, okay? For once try and enjoy your day off." He said, smiling a little at her. She gave him a meek one back before bidding him goodnight and retreating to her room.

As he sat there alone mulling over his grilled cheese, he couldn't help but think about Clary. She seemed to be hiding something, but for some peculiar reason, he didn't feel threatened by this for once. Sure, he'd only known her for a month, but in that time he could clearly see what a genuine person she was, and that made his heart warm to think that the kids had someone like that in their lives he couldn't be around.

 **I really do feel bad about taking this long guys but I wanna try and make this story a priority and maybe continue the other one eventually, depending on which you like better. Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'm not even going to try and dream up an excuse to tell anyone who's taking the time to read the author's notes I leave and for the few souls who do, I appreciate y'all, I truly do. I've put my writing on the back burner but hopefully, I won't let this slide away for too long next time. Cheerio and happy reading!**

 **Z**

 **Disclaimer- Characters and come from Creator of good books, Cassandra Clare.**

Chapter 7

 **Jace POV**

The next time Jace woke up, it was to the smell of heavenly food wafting in through his open door. Sighing, he got up and made his way to the kitchen, squinting as the sun intruded through his curtains with a partition in them. The kids had already been picked up by his parents, judging by the lack of voices he heard.

As he leaned on the doorway to the kitchen, he smirked at the scene that was playing out before him. Clary was jamming out as she cooked up a storm, belting out the lyrics alongside Freddy Mercury as if they were long lost, friends. She whirled about the kitchen, spatula in one hand like a microphone, and a vessel of potatoes in the other. Dropping the vessel onto the counter, she opted out the spatula in favour of a masher, swinging her hips as she vigorously mashed the poor vegetables, still steaming from the stove. Her back was turned to him, but Jace could tell that she wasn't sporting her usual converse and sweaters. Today she had on a simple plum dress that fell to her knees, on top of a pair of stockings. Her hair was pulled back into a simple half-up style.

It was probably the closest to being dressed up that Jace had ever seen her and he couldn't deny that he may or may not have been curious and slightly jealous at who could have made her dress up like that. Before he spoke he made sure to wipe any facial expressions that could allude to his previous thoughts.

"You've made me seriously consider kicking you out on your days off, you know that?" Jace said, causing Clary to jump on the spot.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Mr. Herondale I didn't hear you come in. Is there anything, in particular, I get you for breakfast? I'm sorry I wanted to make pancakes but we ran out of buttermilk from last time. I can run out and grab some now if you're willing to wait? Or I can fry up some eggs for you if you prefer that." Clary rambled on as she regained her composure.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about Clary. This is your one day off and I can understand if you don't want to go out anywhere. But you shouldn't be cooking for us regardless, okay?" He said this as he made his way towards her, taking the masher from her hand. She cracked a small smile before returning her focus to the task at hand.

"Well, I'll have you know that I was planning on going out later so I was just leaving behind some food so you wouldn't starve to death in my absence." She couldn't help but giggle at the affronted look he put up at that. "And plus, what's the harm when I'm not doing anything else? I like cooking so if anything it's relaxing for me," she said.

"Ah yes I noticed. You seem to have quite a bit of move Clarissa." Now it was Clary's turn to blush when she realized that he had been watching her for longer than she had initially thought. "If you insist on working on your day off then I'll just have whatever you had for breakfast," he concluded.

She mumbled something in return, instead of focusing diligently on the potatoes in front of her. "Speak up Clary I can't hear you."

"I didn't eat any breakfast," she murmured, still refusing to look at him.

A small frown graced his face as he forced her to look at him. "Hey you know that's not good. You've been up for God knows how long and you haven't even eaten anything yet. And no, coffee doesn't count as food, not in the slightest." said Jace, finishing before Clary could even suggest the ridiculous notion that coffee was a substitute for breakfast. He shook his head. "I'm not having any of it. No, no arguing! You and I are both having breakfast and you can either help me make it or watch me burn the house down trying," he smirked brushing past her to get to open the fridge.

He heard a sigh escape Clary from behind him. "You're lucky that I just finished up the mashed potatoes, otherwise I would've suggested having the fire department on speed dial." That caused Jace to snort in amusement as he pulled a couple of eggs from the carton.

"How do eggs and bacon sound for breakfast?" he asked, looking around the fridge once more for some bacon. A force gently moved him to the side as Clary bumped him with her hip. She then proceeded to close the fridge and open the freezer, pulling at a sealed pack of bacon. Clary shot him a dry smile as he chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.

"Bacon and eggs sound great, but only if you can actually find the rest of the stuff." Clary teased, already started to spin around the kitchen, heating the stove and getting the pans out.

In the end, it turned out to be Clary who cooked all the food while Jace kept her company, asking the most random of questions whether it be about what she was making or anything that came to his head. Jace knew that he was almost a lost cause in the kitchen, but Clary only came to realize just how lost he was that morning. Awe was probably the only word that could describe what Jace felt as he saw her fly about the tiled floor, keeping her eyes on three different things at once while still being able to hold a conversation with him. In no time at all, they had a little feast laid out before them of eggs, bacon, toast, and an assortment of jams and spreads to choose from. Once again, he thanked whoever was up there pulling the strings that Clary was competent in the kitchen and had the right mind to not just buy the necessities but always made sure that their fridge was stocked with an assortment of foods.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're a Godsend Clary? Because if not then this is me telling you now." Jace said before plowing into his food. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her smile softly, layering her toast with avocado. Though she ate way too little for his liking, breakfast was filled with easy banter and companionship as they had their share of food. Unlike the previous meals that they had shared together, Jace helped Clary clean up and put everything, disregarding her protests. Just as he had rinsed his hands and she had dried the last plate Clary glanced at the clock before exclaiming, "Oh no I've gotta go! My ride's coming to get me in twenty minutes. I'm so sorry Mr. Herondale but I've really got to run." Before she could dash out of the kitchen, Jace stopped her.

"You can just call me Jace from now on okay? I realized for a while that I've been calling you Clary instead of Clarissa and it's only fair." Jace called out and watched her slowly turn around. Her smile nearly blinded him, that's how brilliant it was.

"Okay then, Jace. I'll see you in the evening, alright?" she said, snapping his attention away from her mouth and to her eyes. Brilliant green stared expectantly at him. He swore that if he were less experienced with women, he would inexcusably be blushing right now.

"See you later Clary," he replied just before she could slip around the corner.

This was one of his first days off when he really didn't have anything to do. He had been able to finish a lot of extra work the day before in the office and it did help that he ran his own law firm. Originally it had been started by his parents, leaving him and his brother up to their own antics growing up. Then when they had inherited the business together at their father's retirement, Will and he had sobered up a bit and taken the responsibility head-on. But most people could agree that while both the brothers were party animals growing up, Will tended to buck responsibilities more than Jace did. That is until he met Tessa. Tessa did him a lot of good by bringing him and his ego down several pegs but Jace could never fathom how she put up with him half the time. They brought four beautiful kids into the world and that is when Jace really saw the change in his brother. His playful persona fell away. Instead of leaving half of his work undone to hit the clubs, he raced through the day to go home in hopes that he hadn't missed his children's first steps. His desk became lined with various photos and all of a sudden the once quiet house was completely rambunctious every time Uncle Jace came to visit.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, piercing the veil of silence that hung in the room. Jace wasn't expecting anyone over but he didn't want to rush Clary so he pushed himself up from the couch to answer the door. Behind stood a short brunette, tapping her foot impatiently

She finally took notice of the man standing in front of her and without breaking composure she spoke, "Oh. You're definitely not Clary." The blatant statement made Jace snort.

"Very nice observation. Now that we've deduced that I am in fact, not Clary, would you mind telling me who you are?" he replied with a snide tone, already taking a liking to whoever this friend of Clary's was.

"Ha if you thought for a second that I was going to fall for that one then think again. My friend gave me this address and for all I know you could be holding her captive in the basement. I don't care whether I have to cut you in half to get to her, I will so God help me," the girl replied, lacing her voice with malice. Jace had no doubt that she would go through with her promise, but that didn't stop the smirk that was on fighting its way onto his face. If anything, this seemed to enrage her more and before she could hit him with her purse, he raised his hands up in a non-offensive way.

"There's no need for anyone to split in half here, this isn't a meat shop and you're not a butcher. I'm Jace, Clary's boss and I'm taking it that you're the friend that she's going out with?"

Rather than calming the Latina down, his previous statement seems to get her even more fired up. "Now tell how I could believe that when in all this time she hasn't heard us or even gotten to the door," she challenged before raising her bag once more.

"Raven! What're you doing, that's my boss!" Clary exclaimed and Jace hurried to move out of the way in case this so-called 'Raven' decided to release the projectile regardless.

"Clary! I haven't seen you in forever! Last time I saw you, you were at that cramped apartment! And now you're…" Raven paused as she stepped into the house, looking around the enormous entrance and down into the even larger living room below them. "Whatever the hell this is. Why are you at your boss's house anyway? Are you two.." Raven trailed off, flashing a suggestive look at the two of them and raising her eyebrows. This caused Clary to quickly stepped away from Jace, which amused him to no end. Clearly this implication seemed to bother his nanny and he enjoyed seeing her cheeks tinted with pink.

"Raven, of course not, don't be ridiculous," replied Clary, overcoming the embarrassment her friend had caused her. "If you had paid any attention to the emails I'd sent you, you would've known already that Dorethea's closed down and I'm a live-in nanny now." she finished off and gave her friend a pointed look.

Raven, on the other hand, looked unapologetic and as ever, merely shrugging her shoulders in response. "Either way, our reservation is in two hours, which gives us plenty of time to get our nails done and catch up, so you can tell me all about it." She then turns back to him and gives him a fairly long once over that Jace definitely would've taken as suggestive, if she hadn't been about to knock him out with her coach bag a few minutes ago. "I hope you're not expecting me to apologize because you totally deserved it for coming off so damn creepy," Raven stated.

Jace merely shook his head with a slight small on his face. "You guys go have fun alright? And please for once eat a proper meal Clary," he added. Clary's cheeks flamed up once more and before she could stutter out a reply, Raven was dragging her to the car and calling out.

"Don't you worry I'll feed her so much she'll bounce back home!" Jace had to laugh at that and leant against the doorframe as they pulled out and drove away.


End file.
